The 99th Games
by Piercex
Summary: Pierce Roth is a 15 year old Tribute. She volunteers for her sister in the 99th games and enters the Arena. But something unexpected happens. She falls in love with another Tribute, much to the Capitol's delight.
1. The Reaping

THE HUNGER GAMES

The day my sister's name got called in the reaping, I was sure she was going to die. It started off as every morning does, with my father going off to work in the fields, my sister sleeping, and my mother cooking whatever little food we had. So I got up and helped her even though I could be sleeping. I helped whenever I could. So when I was called I was sure that my family would perish in the time that I was in the arena. An hour later we walked toward the square where the reaping happened. This year the boys were called first. "Marcus Prior" Effie Trinket called. I turned and looked around as the other boys made a path for Marcus. I had seen him once or twice in school, but never made an attempt to talk to him. His brown hair fell into his eyes and he walked up to the stage. My gut was churning as Effie reached into the bowl and pulled out a slip of paper. "Alana Roth" she called, I let go of my sisters hand. My sister, she just called my sister. I looked at her and she started to cry, "N-no" I stuttered as she walked up to the stage. "NO" I cried and ran after her. The peace keepers grabbed me roughly and held me tight "I VOLUNTEER" I screamed "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE" I screamed and broke the peacekeepers grip and ran towards my sister. I gave her a hug and she started crying even harder. "Well dear, come on up then" Effie said as I released Alana. I walked up towards her and up on the stage she asked me what my name was "Pierce" I said "Pierce Roth, and I'm going to die" that was the last thing I thought I'd say to anybody. Next they whisked me away before I could say anything else


	2. The Train

_THE HUNGER GAMES_

**When we got onto the train we were escorted to our rooms by Effie Trinket. "Dinner is in an hour, so get changed into the clothes on your beds" she said. I walked into my room and looked around, it was a fairly big room with a queen sized bed with a bedside table on each side of it. There was a small dresser underneath the window, I reached my hand to the window and brought it back as a quick stinging pain raced up my arm. I cursed and sat on my bed, what was that for? Probably to try to stop tributes from committing suicide. I stood up and looked at the clothing laid out on my bed. There was a black cotton tank top and tight fitting evergreen pants. I put them on and looked in the full length mirror on the right wall, next to the door. Damn I look good! I thought studying my reflection in the mirror. The pants fit around my waist and thighs perfectly and the black tank top showed off what little curves I had but made me look pretty. I pulled my hair but into a bun on top on my head and looked at the freckles dotting my nose. A minute later a bell rang signaling dinner, I opened my door and I was surprised by the sight of Marcus standing there. "Hi" he said quickly, and started walking down the hall. I shut my door and caught up with him "Hey, what's up?" I asked him, He stopped and turned to look at me "Pierce… I'm scared" he said "And don't tell anyone I said that" I laughed, I don't know why but I did "I'm scared too, Marcus" I said "I'm going to die"**

**He didn't look at me as we continued our way to the dining room, when we entered the room I was assaulted with the smell of roast beef, vegetables soaked in butter, and mashed potatoes. "Oh, good you're here!" Effie squawked "Pierce, Marcus meet seeder and Chaff your mentors" they both waved at us "Hi" I said shyly waving back. I took a seat by seeder, and she started piling food onto her plate, I did the same. After a while I asked her what her time was like in the arena, Her face turned grim and she looked at me "My time in the arena was horrible, I survived longer than the others because I could go a long time without food and there were flowers in the arena if they were eaten you were dead in 24 hours but I possessed a gene were I was immune to the flower eventually I was able to wait out the other tributes" she said finishing "Oh" I said turning my eyes to my plate. I suddenly wasn't hungry anymore "I'm sorry" I said pushing away my plate. She smiled "Oh its OK, you should eat there's not much time till we get to the capitol"**


	3. The Capitol

THE HUNGER GAMES

THE INTERVIEWS

When we got there I was sitting beside seeder, when Marcus Ran, in his eyes gleaming with excitement "Were here!" he said and we all ran to the window. We were at the station and people from the capitol were swarming the train screaming our names. Holy crap they look weird! pierced, tattooed, and dyed wearing the oddest clothing. I smiled at foolishness of it all, why wear such expensive clothing when they were just going to go out of style in a matter of days? We were escorted to our penthouse and when we got there, I was amazed "wow..." I breathed. It was amazing, a roof arched like a cathedral with marble mosaics on the floor and a very long elegant oak table with chairs on each side of it. "It's amazing isn't it?" seeder said "Okay everybody," Effie said "It's time to meet your stylists" her high heels clicking on the marble "Come on now children" she pointed to the door where two groups were standing. "Pierce your with Cinna, and Marcus your with Portia" Cinna looked to be in his early thirties and he had dark skin and dark hair. Portia didn't look normal, she had an orange bob and her skin was dyed purple. Cinna greeted me with a hug "Hi" he took my hands in his "We have a lot to do" I wasn't sure how to take that as a compliment or an insult, but nerveless he was right it was going to take a lot of work to wash off the smell of district 11 off me. Yet I was sad, my smell how the only thing I had from home


	4. Preprations

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 4

I had been rubbed raw at least 3 times and been covered in a lotion that burned my skin. But in the end, I smelled suspiciously like vanilla. "So what is the point of all this?" I asked Venia, one of Cinna's co-stylists. "We are getting you ready for the tribute parade my dear" she said. I gasped as pain shot up my leg. "Are we done with waxing?" I asked her weakly, lifting my head up from a pillow. She nodded and I smiled and let my head drop. "Venia?" Said a voice. I looked around and saw Cinna standing in the doorway. "Yes Cinna?" she said and he motioned for her to come. "We have to finish Pierce's dress" he said smiling. Venia nodded and followed Cinna out into the hall and into a room. Slowly I sat up and grabbed a robe that had been flung over a chair. I put it and sat down. What was my dress going to look like? I wondered. A minute passed and Cinna came back in. "Pierce?" he said. I looked up "Come here. Were done your dress" he said and I followed him. Venia stood by a full length mirror with a dress bag. Cinna excused himself from the room and shut the door. I walked over to Venia. "Close your eyes" she told me. I did and I heard her unzip the bag. Then she took off my robe and slipped the dress over my head. It was very smooth material and felt like water. "Can I open my eyes now?" I asked her. "Yes" she said. I opened my eyes and looked at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a off the shoulder dress that fell to my ankles. It had silver grain curling over one shoulder and silver grain encircling my waist and made me look taller then I already was. Cinna came back in the room. "Oh my god… Cinna… it's so..." I was at a loss for words. I turned around and hugged him. "It's so beautiful" I said letting go. Cinna smiled at me. "We still have to do your hair and makeup" he said. Cinna and Venia led me out of the room towards a man named Flavius who did my makeup and hair. When he was done I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror. Flavius had made me look angelic. I had a crown of grain circling my head like a crown and my hair was very soft and light making it float around my shoulders. My makeup was very light but made my face glow. Venia lifted up a piece of my dress and strapped something to my leg. "What's that?" I asked her as she placed a small light on my back. "its lights" she said "When Cinna turns them on your going to glow" she said and stood up from placing a small light on each of my arms. Then Cinna and Venia led me outside to wait with the other tributes. Cinna and Venia left me at my horse. I wonder where Marcus was? I thought. Just then a twelve year old girl from District 12 came up to me. "You look very pretty" she said. She was covered in coal dust and only wearing what looked like a bikini. I bent down to her level and took her hand, not caring that it was covered in coal dust. I smiled "Thank you so much" I said. She leaned towards me and said "My stylist is an idiot" she said and we both giggled "He says I should be a piece of coal, but I don't want to be" she said. I laughed. "Well anybody who thinks someone who's so beautiful should be covered in coal dust is an idiot" I said and she smiled but that smile turned into a frown and I saw fear in her eyes "When im in the arena" she said "I don't want to be alone, but my mentor says I should work alone" she said. "I'll be your ally" I said quickly. She looked up at me "Really?" she said hopefully. I smiled "really". She walked away and I stood up. I realized that the tributes from 1 and 2 were watching me. I made eye-contact with the male tribute from 2 and knew instantly what to do; I stuck my tongue out at him. Not the smartest move but I felt like it needed to happen. He looked shocked and whispered something to his partner and pointed to me. I was distracted by Marcus walking over to me. He was dressed in a hazel suit with a crown of silver grain, and I noticed a light peeking out from his collar. He smiled when he saw me. "Hey" he said "You look stunning." I blushed. "You too" I said "You see that little girl over there?" I said and pointed to the little girl from 12. "I want her as my ally" I said quietly "And he" I motioned towards the district 2 boy "Already wants to kill me." He groaned but didn't say anything. A bell rang and everybody started to get in their chariots. Marcus and I did so and the horses got in line behind the tributes from 10. I snickered when I saw them; they were dressed as cows and turned around to give me a dirty look. I shrugged and they turned around as the chariots moved forward. We went through giant doors and my eardrums were assaulted by the noise of a giant crowd. As soon as we were through those doors our lights switched on and Marcus and I lit up.


	5. Tribute Parade

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 5

When the Tributes from 1 emerged, the crowd went wild. The same happened with 2, 3, and 4,5,6,7. But the applause slowly turned to mocking laughter when they saw 7, 8, 9, and 10. I took a deep breath before our chariot was pulled through the doors. Marcus gripped my hand, and I was thankful for him doing that otherwise I would have fallen. The crowd screamed when the saw us. Cinna made the lights brighter, and we must have looked amazing because they screamed our names and threw roses. I waved at the crowd and smiled. "I hope smiling and waving gets me sponsors" I whispered to Marcus. We pulled to a stop at the end of the walk with the other tributes and I noticed the cows were looking at me scathingly. District 12 pulled up on the other side and President Snow stood up. "Welcome" he said "Welcome." The crowds sound slowly dimmed. "Welcome Tributes, we welcome you" he said looking down on us "We salute your courage and your sacrifice" he said "And we wish you happy Hunger Games." He said looking at each district in turn. "And may the odds be ever in your favor" he finished. The horses turned around and walked back through the doors. As soon as we were through and the horses stopped moving Cinna and his team came up to us. "That was awesome" he said to us "I felt awesome" I said. I noticed that I was still holding Marcus's hand and let go. Seeder, Chaff, and Effie walked over to us and I hugged Seeder. "You were beautiful" she whispered in my ear and pulled back. "Thank you" I said to her. While everybody was congratulating Marcus I slipped away to find the Tribute from 12. I couldn't find her and somehow go cornered by the male from 2. He glared at me and I glared back. I tried to move but he stuck out his beefy arm to keep me in the corner. "What do you want?" I spat at him. H e studied me "Were watching you, I'll make sure your first to go" he said. I rolled my eyes "So? Not like you can do me any harm, I mean you're probably as stupid as a rock" I sneering "Oh no wait, that's an insult to rocks" I said, ducking under his arm. "You're dead 11" he shouted at me as I walked away. I turned around and put my thumb to my nose and walked back towards the shocked faces of my friends. "What was that?" Marcus asked me. I shrugged "Oh nothing, just called a career stupid, no biggie" I said and stroked one of our horses. Effie started talking "Pierce, you just-"and Chaff cut her off "That's my girl! Pierce Roth, a girl born standing up and talking back" he roared with laughter as we all walked back to our penthouse.


	6. Training

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 6

"In two weeks, 23 of you will be dead. One of you will be alive. Who that is depends on how well you pay attention over the next four days, particularly to what I'm about to say." Said Atala, our instructor "First is no fighting with the other tributes, you'll have plenty of time for that in the arena" she said and chuckled "Second Is if you need a sparring partner there are some lined up" she said and motioned around the walls where, sparring partners were in fact lined up. After a while Atala dismissed us to the Training Stations. I knew I was good with throwing knives, so I went to that station. I lined up behind a girl from 6 who was, was missing the target and hitting the ceiling. I made a mental note to never stand near her and a knife because you never know where it might go. She gave up after almost impaling another tribute and I gave it a go. I picked up a knife and tested it. I was heavier than the ones my mother made secretly at home, but I planted my foot behind me took a deep breath, and threw it. I t sailed end over end and impaled itself in the targets forehead. I allowed myself a small smile, and picked up another one. The person running the training center came over to me. "Want to try something harder?" he asked me. I nodded and he led me over to an empty chamber with glass doors and windows then told me to stand on that mat on the floor, and gave me a sheath with 14 knives on it. The lights dimmed and orange lasers turned on and made hologram people. I was shocked but intrigued. One of the holograms charged at me and I drew a knife and threw it, impaling it in the holograms chest and it dissolved. Another one shot a hologram arrow at me and I quickly turned threw a knife, turned, attacked one that had been about to jump on to me. A few seconds later, I had "killed" all the hologram people, and the lights turned back on and the lasers disappeared. I drew a shaky breath, silently thanking my parents for those lessons then I looked up and saw the tributes from 1, 2, and 3 standing at the glass doors. I picked up the knives I had thrown, returned them to their sheath, and calmly walked out the door. As I passed them, I heard muttered words like "Kill" and "Ally." I returned the sheath to the Person running the center. "That was different" I told him. He nodded and walked away. I headed towards a climbing exercise. I stood in line and waited for my turn. I watched a boy from 7 get his foot stuck in one of the rungs and flip upside down. He called for help but no one came. I sighed and walked over to him. "I'm going to push up on your shoulders and unhook your foot from the rug, okay?" I said and he nodded. I pushed up his shoulders and he tried to unhook his foot. "I can't unhook it!" he said. The other tributes were laughing and I walked to the ladder that led up to the climbing area. I pushed a girl aside and climbed up. Then I slowly climbed over to his foot. "Okay, im going to push your foot off the rung, but first give me your hand" I said. He sneered "why do you want to hold my hand?" he said. "Because otherwise, you'll fall and crack your head open" I said rolling my eyes. He took my hand and I pushed his foot off. I gasped, "Damn you're heavier than you look" I said to him. I pulled him up onto the bars and slowly stood up and balanced myself on the bars. "Thanks he said and pulled himself over to the ladder. I nodded and walk over the bars, placing my foot on each rung carefully and walked to the opposite side then climbed down.


	7. Alliances

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 7

After I helped the boy from 7 get off the ladder, it had seemed the Careers were watching my every move. Every time I had looked up there had been at least one watching me. Once I had gone to the snare Center and had looked up. The male Tribute from 2 had been watching me, so I had stood up looked him in the eyes asked him this; "Why the hell are you following me?" I yelled "are you a stalker?" of course when I said that everybody stared at me, even the game makers. I knew I shouldn't have shouted, and now I was sure I was going to be first to die, Great. With all that was happening, I sort of just lost myself in training. Atala says to not ignore the survival stations, so I don't. I learn how to distinguish a poison plant between safe plants and, in another center, hand-to-hand combat. As it turns out, I'm actually pretty strong. I guess working in the fields has its uses, because during it, the man teaches me some basic moves, and I manage to flip him over my shoulder and pin him to the ground. There's something called the Gauntlet. It has ascending platforms that you have to jump to, and, to make it even more difficult, the trainers swing padded clubs at us. I did this once, where I managed to get across the second fastest with only getting hit once in the head and almost slipping off the platform and falling on the ground. As the training time grew to a close, I was worried about my private training session. Chaff said I should show them how strong I was. Seeder said I should show them how smart I was. So when the time came for private sessions came I decided to throw some knifes and hope for the best. On the final day of training we had all gone to lunch and I was eating in a corner staring into my soup, when the tributes from 1 & 2 came over to me. The girl from 1 seemed friendly and asked me if I wanted to eat with them. I accepted warily, picking up my bowl of soup and following them over to some tables they had pulled to the middle of the room. I sat down beside the boy from 3 and they all stared at me. The girl from 1 cleared her throat. "So I'm Diamond, and this is Calvin" she motioned towards her district partner. I nodded at him. "And this is Macy and Patrick" she continued, nodding to the tributes from 2. "And that's Emily and Joey" she said and the tributes from 3 looked at me. "So who are you? I mean we don't know your name. I decided to be nice. "Pierce" I said to Diamond "So... Why am I here?" I asked her. She glanced at Calvin who said "We want you to join the career pack with us" he said. I had a mouth full of soup at the time, and managed to choke on it. I finally swallowed it and said "Me? You're kidding right?" I said smiling "This is a joke right?" I said. Macy made a exasperated sound "I knew this was a bad idea" she said rolling her eyes "She's just to stupid". I glared at her and clenched my fists. Diamond ignored her "So is that a yes or a no?" she asked me. I was still unsure "Well can you at least tell me why you want me?" I asked her. She nodded and said "Well we've seen you throw knives and your pretty good, and you threw that man over your shoulder and pinned him to the ground without breaking a sweat, AND you managed to get through the Gauntlet with the second fastest time, Except for Patrick everybody at this table wants you". She said. I glanced behind me at Marcus, who was watching. He nodded and I turned my focus back to Diamond. "Sure" I said "So when the gong sounds what am I supposed to do?" I asked her "you're not going to kill me are you?" I said and she laughed "No" she said throwing her blond hair over her shoulder "Just get up there, get whatever you want and we'll cover you and likewise" she said and turned to Patrick "And no Patrick, you can't kill her" she said to him, who had just began to open his mouth.


	8. Private Sessions

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 8

"Marcus Prior" said a cool voice from overhead. It was time for private sessions and there were only 4 of us. As the door opened Marcus looked back at me and I smiled reassuringly and he headed in. A couple tense seconds before somebody spoke. "And then there were 3" said the boy from 12. I couldn't help but laugh. It had been so serious that this one thing just set me off. I finished laughing and sat between the boy and girl from 12. "So I don't really know your names" I said. The girl from 12 spoke first "I'm Casey" she said. "Casey. That's a sweet name" I said, she practically glowed. 'So what's your name?" I asked the boy. "I'm Ace" he said and that was that. 12 minutes later, I was called. "Good luck!" Casey called after me. I waved at her and entered. I surveyed the room and headed towards the knife throwing station. I picked up one of the knifes and took my aim. Exhaling I threw it at the dummies forehead. Dead center. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the game makers. They weren't looking at all, their attention was focused on a roasted cow. A flicker of annoyance crossed my face as I picked up another knife. I aimed at the wall above their heads. I threw it hard. A few people screamed and one fell onto the cow. The head game maker looked at me surprised. I crossed my arms, a smug look on my face. "Thank you" I said, as I walked away I couldn't help but throw the third knife I had in my hand over my shoulder.


	9. Training Scores

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 9

After the private session with the game makers I had returned to the penthouse and told Chaff and Seeder what I did. Seeder didn't say anything; just put her head in her hands and Chaff just left. So I just sit in my room. Then came a knock on my door. "Come in" I say, my voice hoarse from not talking. Marcus peaked his head in the room. "They're about to announce our scores" he said. I nod and get off my bed and head towards the living room. When I enter Effie, Chaff, Seeder, Cinna and his team, and Marcus are sitting on the couches. I take a seat on the floor my Marcus's feet, and the television comes on. Caesar Flickerman greets us and gets down to the scoring. "From district one" he says "Calvin scross, with a scoring of 10" he says "And Diamond keile with a scoring of 9" He says the rest of the tributes scores. District 2 got a 7 and 9, and district 3 got a 7 and 7. "And from district 11" he says looking up from his papers "Marcus Prior, with a scoring of 8" he says everybody cheers "And Pierce Roth, with a scoring of 12." I Am stunned. "But I threw a knife at their heads" I say staring at Caesar, who is announcing the scores from 12, but I don't think anybody can hear me over the screaming and cheering.


	10. Interviews

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 10

For the interviews with Caesar, Cinna put me in a knee length creamy dress with a ruffled skirt and dark brown belt. The girl from 10 was staring at me enviously. I was talking to Casey in hushed tones. "What do you think he'll ask us?" I asked her. "I don't know" she said "Maybe he'll ask us who our favorite victors are, so keep your mental list ready!" she said, giggling. We talked and talked until it was my turn to go up on stage. The lights blind me and I walk onstage and sit beside Caesar. I don't notice him talking to me until he taps my shoulder. I look over at him "sorry what?" I say. The audience laughs. "I said, What was your life like back in District 11" he says. "Well in District 11, I knew where I stood; here I'm not so sure if I'm a tribute or a prisoner" I say looking at my shoes. "So you're saying that your life back home was peaceful?" he says. "In a way, yes" I say looking up. He smiles at me "so what do you think of your time here in the Capitol so far?" he asks me. "Well it's certainly nothing like im accustomed to" I say to him "For one thing, we don't get food by the press of a button" I say. Caesar pretends to look surprised and I laugh. "So Pierce, you got a very high training score I see" he says seriously. I start fiddling with the bottom of my dress. "Yeah, I did" I say. Caesar looks at me "Well how'd you do it?" he asks me. "W-well…" I stammer. He grins "C'mon now" he says "tell us what happened." The crowd cheers. I sigh "Well, you see I'm very skilled with throwing knifes, so when I had my session I was planning on, y' know throwing some knifes" I mime throwing one "and when I did, I hit the dummy dead-center in the forehead, so I was all happy. So I turn around and the game makers are even paying attention to me, there focusing on a giant roast cow" I say, rolling my eyes "So, I have a bit of a temper, and I threw a knife at the wall above their heads" I say looking out into the crowd "one of them fell onto the cow" I say laughing. Caesar laughs with me. "So tell me Pierce" he says solemnly "Why did you volunteer for your sister?" he asks me. I take a shaky breath "I-I love her so much, I just can bear to see something happen to her, so when she got called I reacted on instinct, to protect her" my eyes start to tear up and I don't wipe them away when they roll down my cheeks. The audience makes some sympathetic noise. Caesar pats my arm "That's really sad. What was the last thing you said to her?" he asks me. I shake my head. "I didn't get to say anything to her" I say wiping away my tears "But If I could I would say; stay strong, because im coming home one way or another" I say looking into the audience. "What's your sister's name?" Caesar asks me gently. "Alana" I said quietly. The buzzer buzzes and Caesar says; "well that's all we have time for, Thank you Pierce Roth!" he says smiling. I stand up, smile and walk off stage.


	11. The Cornucopia

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 11

I sleep fitfully. The fact that the Games are tomorrow set my body into a trembling fit every time I think about it. But I remind myself that I have to do my best for Alana's sake. And I'm with the Careers, so that's a plus. So I force myself to sleep, because I have to be alert in the morning. Effie wakes me up in the morning. She's wearing an aqua blue wig and she has a look on her face that makes me think im already dead. I start trembling again when she leaves and tells me to get dressed on the clothes that are on my dresser. I'm wearing Black tight pants and a black tank top and Knee high lace up black boots and a silver web pin Cinna gave me. I am puzzled by all the black. Cinna comes in my room and leads me towards the launch room. I shake the whole way there. When we reach the room, it still smells like wet paint. Cinna walks over to a rack, on which hands a black jacket that I put on. It is lined with a fur that I have no name for. Then he gives me a pair of gloves that cover my hands, but leave my fingers uncovered. I start trembling again; Cinna pulls me in for a hug. Tears start to prick my eyes and Cinna takes my hand. "Don't be scared" he says to me "You're going to win" he says and I nod. He leads me to the Tribute tube and I step inside. A glass plate slides over the entrance and I pres my hand over it. Cinna nods and steps back. I put my hands over my web pin and I nod at him. The plate lifts me upwards and I straighten, standing high. When I enter the Arena I am met by the sight of fog covering arena and the shape of the Cornucopia looming out of the fog. 50, 49, 48... I start shaking again. I look around and notice Diamond is beside me. She nods and motions towards the Cornucopia. 20, 19, 18… I look towards the left of me. The boy from 7 is looking at me. 14, 13, 12… I'm getting butterflies and I'm shaking again. 7, 6, 5… I get ready to run. 4, 3... I'm on my toes. The gong sounds and I charge towards the Cornucopia


	12. The Cannon

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 12

I run towards the Cornucopia and make it to the mouth. Instantly I spot a sheath of knifes in the corner. I grab it and put it on, I look around and see a backpack I grab that too and pull it on my back. And just to make sure, I grab a small sword and buckle it around my waist then pull it from its sheath, not wanting to waste my knifes. I turn my back and hear a tribute coming from behind me. I whirl to meet him with a death stroke from my blade, slicing his head cleanly off. I take a second to look around and see that most of the careers have their hands on weapons and re trying to kill as many as possible. I see no sign of Casey, Marcus, or the boy from 7. I run over to help Calvin fight off two attackers. I come up behind the second attacker and run my blade through him. But by then Calvin has slit the other attacker's throat. "Thanks" he said, barely giving me a glance and running off to help Diamond. I stand momentarily surveying the scene. People are fighting left and right, killing without hesitation. A voice inside screams that I should flee, but another tells me to fight. I guess the adrenaline is talking. I run back to the Cornucopia, killing two people in the process. When I get there the rest of the Careers are already there, rummaging through the weapons and backpacks. I look over my shoulder and see no one else is there, probably already deep in the woods. Calvin says we should go out into the forest and kill as many people as we can get. I shake my head. "Got any better ideas, 11" he asks me. "Yeah, I do" I say "Let them go into the woods, give them a false sense of security" I say wiping the edge of my blade clean. Diamond nods "That sounds good" she says and sits down, opening a pack she picked up. I finally get a good look at the arena. It is covered in fog and, from what I can see it is a marsh. I shiver and sit on the ground. It is very spongy and soft. I take my hair out of its ponytail and put it in a bun on top of my head. "I'm going to see if anyone is around here" Calvin says. After he leaves, the cannons fire, each signaling a fallen tribute. I count them off. "1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10..11.." I say. 11 tributes dead. We all step into the Cornucopia and allow a hovercraft to pick up the dead bodies. "I'm going to see what the arena is like" I say. But then we hear a chilling scream. None of us moves. "What the hell was that?" Macy says after the screams stop. Then we hear the Cannon boom. I close my eyes and think of whom it might be. Casey? Maybe, The boy from 7? Hopefully not. Marcus? God no. for some reason my thoughts drift towards the boy from 7. I had gotten a good look at him before the gong sounded. What did he score? Ah right, a 9. I memorize the curve of his jaw, the way his eyes slant. Absentmindedly I start drawing him in the dirt. I barely notice Diamond, Macy, and Emily standing over me. When I finish I write 'DISTRICT 7' over his head. The girls behind me laugh. "Seriously Pierce?" Diamond says and I turn bright red and stomp out the drawing. I scowl at her and open my pack, pulling out a piece of food. They are still laughing when I finish eating. "What? There's nothing wrong with it!" I say, turning even redder, the other girls snickered. Calvin walked proudly out of the bushes. He smiled. "I got one!" he said "I think they were going to wait till we fell asleep to grab some stuff." Dusk was falling, so I grabbed a sleeping bag from a pile in the Cornucopia. "Hey Pierce!" Macy called. She had laid her sleeping bag beside Patrick and Diamond. "Come sleep beside me!" I shook my head. "No thanks." Macy shrugged. I went to the back of the Cornucopia, tied the sleeping bag to my waist and climbed the side. Once I had reached the top, I found a relatively flat spot and unrolled my sleeping bag.


	13. A Warning

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 13

I wake to a hand on my mouth. I open my eyes and see the boy from 7 crouching over me. He looks at me "Be quiet, I'm not going to kill you" he says and lifts his hand from my mouth. I sit up. "What are you doing here?" I ask him, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. He glances at the rest of the Careers. "I came to warn you" he says "The careers, they are going to kill you." I shouldn't be surprised. "Two nights from now" he says sitting. "They planned it, I heard them, while you were sleeping" he says. I look at them. "Why are you telling me this?" I ask "you could've killed me, but you didn't." He shook his head. He starts to leave. "Wait!" I cried. He looked back at me. "Wait I'm coming with you." He nodded. I climbed down and grabbed two backpacks and filled them with food and medicine. The boy jumped down and grabbed a sword and dagger. I had my sword and knifes. I grabbed a bow & arrow and slung it over my back. Just to be safe. I handed him a bag and we ran


	14. A Fight and a Death

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 14

We had been running through the wet marshland all night. I had just stolen from the Careers and deserted them. I don't think they even cared; they only wanted me because I was the only person in history that had scored a twelve. I focused on the boy's running form up ahead. He had warned me last night that the Careers were going to kill me two nights from now. I was thankful but puzzled that he helped me. He stopped and I skid to a halt. He motioned to a tree. "Climb!" he hissed. I did. I was twenty feet in the air before I heard sounds of fighting. I looked down. The boy was on the ground and Patrick was standing over him. I pulled my sword out of its sheath, positioning my blade so that it would pierce his exposed neck. I jumped, screaming as I flew downwards. Patrick looked up, but it was too late, instead of piercing his neck, my blade pierced his forehead. There was blood, so much blood. I couldn't think. The boy grabbed my arm and ran. We ran through the seemingly endless marsh, until we reached a small cavern above it. He pulled me up. I heard the sound of running water, but I didn't care. I just blacked out.


	15. Armed to the Teeth

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 14

I woke to the sound of running water. I spotted a small pool with a stream flowing through it. I dove in, and washed the blood from my hair and clothes. I swan around and around, then finally pulled myself out. I noticed that my jacket, boots and pin were gone. What happened? But my memories came flooding back. I had killed the boy from 2, Patrick. Where were my clothes? The boy from 7 walked in. "I see you're awake' he said. I stood up. "Where are my clothes?" I asked him, my voice hoarse. He pointed to my backpack. "I took them off you last night and washed them, you were covered in blood" he said "and don't worry, I didn't see anything I'm not supposed to see." I walked over to my bag. "There is nothing to see" I said. He shrugged and walked away. Once I had put on my coat, laced up my boots, and put on my pin, I walked outside. It was midmorning. How long had I been out? I found the boy near a rock outside, skinning some kind of animal. "How long was I out?" I asked him. He jumped a foot in the air. "Dammit, don't scare me like that!" he said, glaring at me. I glared right back. "How long was I out?" I asked him again. He sighed, "Two days, the girl from my district and from 10 and 2" he said. I nodded and went back to the cave. I grabbed my sheath and put it on; then strapped my sword to my hip, then slung the bow & arrow over my shoulder. I walked out and put on my backpack. I heard the boy whistle. "Whoa, armed to the teeth aren't you?" he said. I rolled my eyes "One can never be too careful" I said. I started walking away. "Hey where are you going?" he yelled. I turned, "to find somebody, the girl from 12" he nodded and disappeared into the cave. I waited and he emerged with his backpack and weapons. "I'm coming with you" he said. I started walking "Well then hurry up" I said.


	16. Authors Note!

THE HUNGER GAMES

A/N

Hey guys! I hope your liking the story so far! I just wanted to let you know im going to start writing the story from 2 different perspectives! One from Pierce's perspective, and from the boy from 7's! (Name is revealed later!) Soo… yeah! Enjoy


	17. District 12 Found

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 17

Ash

I follow her into the Marsh. Occasionally she kneels down and checks out something I can't see. After a few minutes I get restless and she snaps. "Can you please be quiet? Your alerting the whole Arena that were here!" she snaps. I hold my hands up in surrender. As I follow her through the marsh, I realize she's isn't making any noise at all, and if I couldn't see her I would never know she was there. Every time she kneels down I notice that she's very confident n where she's going. There's something very sexy about that confidence. After a while she stops, and I crash into her. She glares at me. "Casey?" she whisper yells "Casey! It's me! Pierce" she says. I hear a rustle of leaves from overhead, followed by a head. Pierce smiles and waves. Casey slowly climbs down from the tree, smiling. Once she's down she runs to Pierce and hugs her. "Hey" she says, hugging Casey tighter. Casey's eyes go wide as she sees me. "P-pierce!" she says backing away. She frowns. "What?" she says and turns around. She laughs. "Oh! The Boy won't hurt you, he helped me" she says. I scoff, "The Boy?" I say "My name isn't The Boy, its Ash" I say, rolling my eyes. Casey smiles at me "Ok, Ashie" she says. That sends Pierce into spasms of laughter. After a while she sits up, wiping away tears. "Ok Ashie, were taking her back to the cave" she says, standing up. I nod, leading them back to the cave. Once we get there, Pierce stops in the cover of the trees and crouches. "Get down!" she hisses. Casey drops. "What is it?" I ask. She looks at me, puzzled. "Didn't you see that?" she says. "I saw it" Casey whispers. Now im just downright confused. Then I see it. It emerges from the cave. It is long, scaly, and white. When I see its eyes I shiver. They are milky white, with no pupils. Pierce slowly takes off her bow, but I take it from her. She glares at me. "I have more experience with it" I whisper. Slowly she hands me the quiver and I take an arrow and put it into place. I stand, blending perfectly into the shadows. I pull back the string, take aim, and let the arrow fly. It pierces the monster in the forehead, and it dies instantly. Casey and Pierces takes off, I follow them. As we run, I focus on the back of Pierce's head. My thoughts slowly drift to what it would feel like to run my fingers through her hair, to taste her lips. I shake my head, no I must focus. They slow down. "What's the problem?" I ask. Casey slumps against a tree, breathing heavily. "She needs to eat" Pierce says, and I notice she barley looks winded. I, on the other hand am panting like a dog. I nod and she opens her pack and pulls out a orange she stole from the Careers. She peels it and hands it to Casey, who devours it. Then she gives Casey her water bottle, who drinks every last drop. I peek inside her bag and frown. "You don't have any more water" I say. She waves it off. "I don't need any" she says. "No" I say and hold up my water bottle. "Drink" I say. She rolls her eyes "Fine" she says and takes a swig of the water bottle and hands it back to me. I wipe off the rim and take a small sip. I notice Casey is asleep and Pierce looks like super tired. "I'll take first watch, you sleep" I say. She nods and curls up beside Casey and her breathing slows. I sit next to her and watch her face. She looks more peaceful sleeping, and she doesn't scowl so much. A few hours later she sits up trembling, tears streaking her face. "What's wrong?" I say. She doesn't answer, just put's her face in her hands and cries softly. I scoot closer to her. "Pierce are you ok?" I ask softly, putting my arm around her, hugging her close. I lift her head up from her hands and she looks at me through tear streaked eyelashes. Angrily she wipes them away. "I'm sorry" she says and takes a shuddering breath. I don't think just act, I press my lips to hers before I can stop myself. She hesitates for a second before kissing me back. She pushes her hands through my hair and I kiss her fiercely, almost hungrily. She pulls away, her face pink. I realize what I just did; anybody could have killed us while we were 'occupied'. Just then Casey wakes up. She stretches and yawns, her face bright. 'So, what's up? What are we going to do?" she asks. "I think we should move" says Pierce "We've spent too much time here" she says and stands up, pulling on her backpack. I nod and, realize Pierce slept with her weapons on. She probably didn't trust me enough to be sure that I wouldn't kill her while she was sleeping. "We should move, set up camp, and eat somewhere else" I say. Casey nods, and pulls on my backpack. 'Hey!" I say. "That's mine." She gives me a puppy look. "Please? If I carry it for you will you give me a piggy back ride?" she says sweetly. I sigh and crouch down. She cheers and jumps on. Pierce snickers and I stick my tongue out at her.


	18. Spears and Trees

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 18

Ash

After a few minutes of walking Casey whispers in my ear. "I saw you this morning" she says. I am puzzled. "Yeah, and I saw you too" I whisper back. She giggles. "No, I mean I saw you two kissing" she says. "Oh" I say. Pierce glances back at us. "What are you two talking about?" she says. "Nothing" we both say. Pierce laughs and stops. "Let's set up camp here" she says and starts to climb a tree. I look up at her. "Uh, I think we have different versions of 'set up camp'" I say. "It will be safer up here" she says. Casey drops down and follows Pierce up. I wait till there a good distance up, before climbing after them. As were up there, I notice that there have been no deaths today. The crowd is probably blood thirsty by now. I climb next to Casey and sit down on a branch. I look over at Pierce, who is straddling a branch, searching through her backpack, perfectly balanced. Of course she probably was climbing trees since she was a toddler. Casey wobbles ever so slightly on her branch before righting herself. Pierce wipes her brow before unzipping her jacket and laying it on her branch. Without it, she has on a tight black tank top. I look away, 'you can't think about her now!' I think. "I'm going to go hunting" she says and climbs down, her jacket tied around her waist. I watch her as she lands on the ground. She starts to walk away. Then she screams as a spear pierces her stomach.


	19. Let it Fly

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 19

Ash

I draw my bow, nock the arrow and let it fly into the head of the male district one tribute. a Cannon fires, signaling his death. I climb down quickly and jump the last couple feet. I race over to her and pull the spear out of her. I let out a sigh of relief; it had pierced her side, not her stomach. She is still screaming. I'm surprised she hasn't passed out. I pick her up and turn around to yell for Casey to grab our stuff, but she is already at my side, wearing both backpacks. We run, dodging pools of water. Pierce has finally passed out, I start to worry. What if she's already dead? She can't be. There's no Cannon. Then cannon fires. And I stop and sit down. I place my ear on her chest and listen. There it is, weak but still beating. Casey orders me to place her on the ground. I do. She opens a backpack and pulls out a needle, thread, and cleaning alcohol. She pulls up her shirt, leaving her stomach exposed. Then she begins to expertly sew the wound shut. Then she pours the alcohol on it. Pierce cries out in pain. Casey sits back exhausted from the ordeal. I thank her, then pull Pierce into my arms


	20. Mutts suck

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 20

Ash

Pierce insisted that she stayed awake to see which tributes died today. I had propped her up on a tree so she could see the sky without ripping her stitches. Casey was curled up on the ground next to her, sleeping off the exhaustion. The Capitol seal came on, followed by the anthem. The sky was lit up with the face of the male tribute from 1. Then from 12, and the girl from 5. Pierce sighed and closed her eyes and winced as she adjusted her position to lie down. As she fell asleep, I thought of how I'd kissed her last night. I thought of how good it would feel to have her lips on mine again, of how her body would feel pressed up to mine. I sighed, that can't happen here, I thought. Then, a flash of white. I held my breath. "Casey!" I hissed. She woke with a start. I motioned for her to wake up Pierce. She nodded and pressed a hand over Pierce's mouth. Her eyes opened with a start, her body tense. But she relaxed when she saw Casey. She removed her hand but placed a finger over her lips, indicating silence. She nodded and handed Casey her sword. Casey strapped it to her hip and motioned for Pierce and me to climb the tree. I nodded and I helped Pierce up and start climbing. Once she was up a good distance I followed her. As I glanced down I saw Casey place one hand on the tree, and the monster lunges from the bushes and latches onto her waist. Casey screams and is dragged on the ground across the clearing by the Mutt. I jump down, and draw my bow. I nock an arrow and let it fly into the Mutts eye.


	21. I Won't Forget

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 21

Ash

The Mutt dies and Pierce screams Casey's name. I run over to her and see that she won't live long. She has two minutes at most. Blood stains her lips as I pull her head into my lap. "Casey" I whisper, my voice shaking. She looks up at me. "Take care of Pierce" she says "make sure she lives" she says looking up at the trees. I nod and tears blur my vision. Her breathing slows and stops completely. A cannon sounds signaling her death. I let my tears flow down my face, as her eyes reflect the rising sun. Over a few days, it felt like Casey was part of my family, like a sister. I hear that Pierce has finally reached the ground, and her feet pounding on the soggy ground. She kneels down at Casey's side and grabs her hand. "Casey!" she sobs. "Casey!" she leans her head on Casey's chest and sobs, her body shaking. I touch her shoulder lightly. "Don't touch me!" she say's recoiling from my touch. "What's your problem?" I say a little harsher then I meant. She glares at me. "I feel like my sister just died!" she says, wiping away her tears. I hang my head. "I'm sorry" I say. I place Casey's head on the ground and stand up. "Come on, we need to go so her body can be picked up" I say, holding out my hand. She takes my hand and walks away from the body. She stops and turns around. "I won't forget you Casey" she says "I'm going to win for you" she says and turns around, walking away.


	22. We Could Go Home

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 22

Pierce

Feeling sick with grief, Ash and I walked well into the morning. After we dropped from exhaustion, Ash asked me; "What are we going to do now?" he said. I shrugged "Nothing really seems right now that Casey is gone." I sigh and lean my back against a tree an open my pack, pulling out a water bottle. I take a swig from it. "I hate this" Ash says bitterly. "I do too, I do too."Just then cannon fires. I sit bolt upright, exhaustion forgotten. Ash places a hand on my shoulder. Then, Claudius Templesmith's voice booms. "Greetings Tributes, The rules have been changed. The last two Tributes standing will both be crowned Victors." He says "Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor" he says. Ash looks at me. "W-we could go home!" he says, raking a hand through his hair. He smiled "We could go home!" He says. He puts his hands on my face and kisses me. It's so full of happiness and joy, that I can't break away. When he finally slows and pulls apart he rests his head on my forehead and looks me in the eye. "Pierce, we could win!" He says. A twig snaps behind him, and Ash whirls, his bow loaded. "Climb" he hisses at me. I shake my head and draw one of my knifes. "No" I say and stand back to back with him. The male Tribute from 5 barrels out of the bush, followed by the boy from 10 coming from my side. I throw my knife and draw another one, but the Cannon has already fired. He is pierced through the forehead by my knife. I turn around and see that Ash has already killed the boy from 5. He takes my hand. "Let's go" he says, and runs.


	23. Break Apart

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 23

Pierce

Once we had run a good distance from the Killing area, we found ourselves right near the Cornucopia. The only people left were Diamond, Emily, and Joey. She was yelling at Emily, who was cringing. Joey stomped up to her and shouted something that sounded vaguely like; "get away from her, Witch." Diamond turned and decapitated him with one clean stroke of her sword. And just like that, we were down to 4. I sighed. "We'll move out later, but now you need to rest" he said. He unzipped his jacket and laid it down on ground. "Sleep" he said. I did so without hesitation and was out like a light. I woke up with my arms tied to my side and Diamond standing over me. "What the hell?" I said. Get me out of these stupid ropes, or so god help me I will kill you!' I said. She crouched down. I could see her eyes and I realized that they weren't the old Diamonds eyes. This Diamond had tripped, fallen and plunged over the deep end. She smiled maniacally. "Lover boy isn't here to save you now, is he?" she said. "ASH!" I screamed. She chuckled pointed to the right of me where Ash lay. I stared at him. "Is he dead?" I asked her softly. She shook her head. "No, no, no. He's not dead. He just has to pick which girl to keep and which girl to kill" she said standing up "And I know who he's going to Pick" she said and pointed towards herself "Moi." She picked up her water bottle and dumped it on Ash's head. He woke with a start. "Ash" Diamond crooned "Which girl are you going to pick, and which are you going to kill?" she said. I could see Ash was thinking. Slowly, he stood up and walked towards Diamond. He wrapped his arms around her and started whispering things in her ear. I cried softly, tears rolling down my face. I should have known. Of course he would kill me. I was ugly, flat-chested and curve-less. Diamond was pretty, and was the epitome of curves. I turned my head upwards and waited for the blade Diamond handed him to find home in my chest.


	24. Victors

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 24

Pierce

It never came. I had closed my eyes, and heard a thunk as the blade found home. In Diamond. Ash ran towards me and undid the ropes that bound me. He wrapped his arms around me. "Are you ok?" he said. I pushed him away angrily. "Are you ok? You think you can just Go for one girl, kill her and move on to the next?!" A flicker of annoyance crossed his face. "She would have killed you anyways! I tricked her into believing that I would kill you, and stay with her" she came towards me again. "I never wanted to hurt you" he said. He took my chin in his hands. "When I first saw you I thought you were the prettiest girl I ever saw, Pierce" he says. He wraps his arms around me again and I don't push his away. I tilt my head up and kiss him. It is passionate and slow. Claudius Templesmith's voice booms through the arena. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to present the Victors of the 99th Hunger Games, Pierce Roth and Ash Emers. Ash and break apart as a ladder attached to a hovercraft descends into the Arena. As soon as we step onto it, a current freezes us in place as were swept out of the Arena and back into the Capitol. As soon as we land Peacekeepers tear us apart. "Ash!" I scream. I hear him yell my name, but I'm swept away to a dressing room. When I look in the mirror, I don't see what Ash saw. What I see is a small dirty girl whose face is streaked with tears, blood and dirt. My stylist's get to work on me, reverting me back to 'Beauty Base Zero' after their done I sit on the chair, naked except for a robe. Cinna comes in and I jump up and hug him tightly. He pats my back and I sit down again."Well, looks like your alive" he says, smiling. He stops smiling and his face grows somber. My smile falters. I frown "what's wrong?" I say. Cinna shakes his head. "While you were in the Arena, your Mother and sister died."


	25. A Very Handsome Tree

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 25

Pierce

My mouth hangs open in shock. "This is a joke, right?" I say. Cinna shakes his head. I break down into sobs. After a minute, Cinna lightly taps my shoulder. I wipe away my tears. "I-I don't-do" I stutter. Cinna shushes me. After an hour of preparation, I am ready for my interview with Caesar and Ash. Cinna put me in a floor length silk beige gown, with the silver grain crown. As Caesar announces my name I walk on one part of the stage, while Ash walks on another. I smile when I see him. As he and I reach the Center of the stage, he holds out his hand and I take it. Caesar tells us to sit down on the loveseat across from him. As we sit he asks Ash a question. "Now tell me Ash, when you saw Pierce at the tribute parade what did you think?" Ash thinks for a moment before answering. "When I saw her, I thought 'wow, she looks like a Angel.' My face turns pink. "And what did you think when you saw him, Pierce?" he asks me. "Well, I didn't really see anyone, I was just focusing on not falling out of the chariot" I say. The audience laughs. Ash sticks his tongue out at me. "You could've at least said something nice about me." I shrug. "Fine. You were a very handsome tree" I said. The audience cracks up. "Thank you" he says "Wait a minute, how did you know I was a tree?" he said suspiciously. I give him a droll stare. "Everybody from your district is a tree" I say. After a minute the Audience calms down enough for Caesar to talk again. "So, We saw you two get very close to each other in the Arena" Caesar says. "When did that start?" he asks us, leaning forwards. I let Ash take this one. "Well, I think it started when Pierce had a nightmare in the Arena, and was crying" he says "She was just sobbing her heart out" he says smiling. I punch him in the arm. "I'm not that weak" I say. "Anyways, she was having a nightmare, so I asked her if she was ok, but she didn't respond so I just kissed her" he says and shrugs. Caesar smiles. "Why don't we watch that little clip again, shall we?" he says. We watch the screen; I sit up, trembling, tears streaking my face. We watch as Ash asks me if I'm ok. When I don't respond He takes my face in my hands and kisses me. The clip ends and the Audience coos. Caesar sighs and stands up. "Thank you Audience and thank you, Victors of the 99th annual Hunger Games!" he says and Ash and I walk hand in hand off the stage.


	26. Quarter Quell

THE HUNGER GAMES

CHAPTER 26

Ash

President Snow places a crown on her head. His eyes are like snake eyes, creepy and reptilian. He smiles as he steps back. It makes his puffy lips look scary. He takes a strand of Pierce's hair. I resist the urge o bat his hand away from her. "You have very nice hair" he says to her. "Thank you" she says quietly. As he steps over to me she lets out a quiet sound of relief. The smell of blood and roses is overpowering. When he steps back, he smiles again. "I hope to see you next year in the Arena again" he says. Pierce looks confused. "What do you mean, see us in the Arena next year?" she says. The realization dawns on me. Pierce looks over at me. I shake my head. Snow looks surprised. "You don't know?" He says "Next year is the 11th Annual Quarter Quell" he says wickedly.


End file.
